Total Eclipse of the Heart

A note & a sprinkle of magic

"Now I've gone for too long
Living like I'm not alive
So I'm going to start over tonight
Beginning with you and I"
― Hayley Williams

Maybe that is what life is about sometimes the tide must change. Sometimes some things need a do over. The day was awfully slow and it didn't help that Neha had been hogging his office with talks of her wedding preparation. Abir honestly, was not interested about if the white lilies would match with the golden décor he had never cared about such details. Neha kept harping on and on about the lights, the decorations, some center piece , Abir had already drifted away to his dream land. One thing he had always been thankful about was the fact how Mishti was not someone who used to bother about these things rather she was simple si seedhi saadi si.

"Main alag hu?

Puri dunya say alag ho tum"

"Earth to Abir. Here I am worried, and you are smiling. Sach main Ajeeb ho tum" Neha called him out. Abir's ear perked up by hearing the word Ajeeb but his heart did not skip a beat from other people's mouth it was just a mere word but from her mouth it used to sound like music to his ears.

"What's the problem now, Neha. Everything is going to be amazing you are getting married to the love of your life does it even matter what color the flowers are. You are lucky har kisi ki qismat tumharay jaisi nahi hoti" Abir commented

"Why are you so damn up tight Abir Rajvansh and hello you know how much I care about these things. Well looks like its time for lunch. You want to grab something from outside?" Neha asked him

"I was actually going to order some food maybe you can go with Kunal he likes to eat from outside" Abir suggested.

"Oh okay but this is not over since you are a painter...

"I was a painter" Abir interrupted her

"Hello, teen mahinay main painting na karnay ka yay matlab nahi kay you are not a painter"

"Jab woh nahi hain toh painting karna ka hi matlab nahi" he murmured

"Did you say something. Anyways see you later" Neha said and walked out.

Abir sighed taking his shades of he could finally have some much needed alone time now. He called up the dhaba that once Mishti had mentioned had the best Khichdi in Rajkot.

"The usual sir" the caller on the other end asked him.

"Yes, just the khichdi" Abir replied

"Sir from the last three months you call daily and give the same order. If you don't mind kia koi khaas baat hain humrhi khichdi main?"

"Khaas toh woh hain jis ki yaad main khata hu" Abir mused

"I just really like it I guess" Abir told him

"Fair enough, Sir there would be a bit of delay today are you willing to wait?"

"Yes of course I don't mind" He would wait if he had to but he won't have anything else.

Mishti's flight had landed in Rajkot and she was one of the people who hated airplane food. According to her it had some weird smell by the time they got their luggage Mishti was famished.

"Nannu on our way home there is this dhaba with the world's best Khichdi can we please stop there and grab some" Mishti asked her friend

"Seriously, Misteapot we just reached and now instead of going home you want to go to a dhabba?" Nannu asked her

"Pretty please" Mishti looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Okay fine" Nannu relented.

Bade Papa had already sent the car for them. They both got in and Mishti instructed the driver to take them to the dhaba first. Owing to the traffic they reached in half an hour. Mishti didn't mind it gave her more time to admire the wonderful city she had grown up in and where she made bittersweet memories with him. It felt like eons ago when on these roads she used to have cycle races with him. They finally reached and Mishti got down excitedly.

"Mishti didi itnay dino baad" The waiter exclaimed.

"Hah please jaldi say aik khichdi la doh"

"Jee Abhi laya"

"Are you planning to eat here? Come on get it packed we are already so late. Maa keeps on calling" Nannu told her.

"Garma Garam khana ka maza hi aur hain you should try some" Mishti told him

"No thanks"

A few minutes later Chotu arrived with her Khichdi. Mishti couldn't help but dive right in. It was still as good as she remembered. London had a lot of desi food options but India kay khanay ki baat hi aur thi. You can't replicate the taste.

"If you are done get the rest of it packed and lets go now please" Nannu rolled his eyes at her

"Okay fine let me just put a note in it"

"You know its very silly that you keep putting notes in everything. I mean what's the point if only you end up reading them" Nannu scoffed

"Well you never know anything can happen. You know I document everything that happens in these little notes and at the end of the day I compile them. It sort of Mishti style journaling" She smiled at him. Mishti mused on what to write in the little note.

She put in the plate and asked chotu to pack the rest of the Khichdi in the box. Coincidentally, Abir's order was being prepared at the same time. The errand boy at the dhaba was not too good with instructions so he accidentally changed both the boxes. An unsuspecting Mishti & Nannu took home Abir's box while Mishti's box reached Abir's office.

Abir excitedly opened the box only to discover half eaten Khichdi inside. He didn't care if it would have been Kunal he would have thrown a hissy fit but Abir was too hungry. As he dipped his spoon into the rice he head a faint crackling of paper. Curious on what had made the sound Abir carefully removed the top layer of the rice. Nestled amongst the rice was the note Mishti had written.

"Cheers to new beginnings" Abir couldn't help but smile the writing seemed oddly familiar he just couldn't remember where he had seen it before. Mishti was right you never know anything can happen.

"Dil ki baton ka hota apna hi logic hain faith thoda sa hope zara sa phir ho jata magic hain"